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(formal) In the first place; before anything else; first.
1992, Rudolf M Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page vii:
Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants. […] Secondly, I continue to base my concepts on intensive study of a limited suite of collections, rather than superficial study of every packet that comes to hand.
Usage notes
Whether it is proper to use "firstly", rather than "first", has often been disputed.
Beginning in the early 19th century, some have argued against the use of "firstly", advocating the sequence: "First", "secondly", "thirdly", ....
The usage of "firstly" is also deprecated by some modern style guides. The Chicago Manual of Style further recommends that all such -ly forms be avoided, and that list items begin only with "first", "second", and so forth.
Other authorities disagree.
The American Heritage Dictionary comments:
It is well established that either first or firstly can be used to begin an enumeration: Our objectives are, first (or firstly), to recover from last year's slump.
The Oxford English Dictionary notes the dispute but does not pass judgment: "many writers prefer first, even though closely followed by secondly, thirdly, etc."
"Firstly" may appear more formal than "first" and is often recommended for the formal enumeration of arguments.
^ “Writing in a Formal Style for Academic Purposes”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), 2008 October 21 (last accessed), archived from the original on 30 April 2008